Tuesday, January 11, 2011

#542 Lou Klimchock

Lou Klimchock is rocking the cap-under-helmet look. To my knowledge, only slap hitter Juan Pierre is keeping this fashion statement alive in the 21st century.

Fun facts about Lou Klimchock:

-A native of Hostetter, PA, Lou signed with the Athletics in 1957 at age 17.

-He hit a whopping .389 with 25 home runs and a .617 slugging percentage at Class C Pocatello in his first full pro season to earn a September callup from the A's.

-Lou got cups of coffee with Kansas City in 1958, 1959, and 1960 before spending the entire 1961 campaign in part-time duty for the big league club. He hit just .215 with 16 RBI in 57 games.

-Despite his impressive minor league track record (.292 AVG in 15 seasons), Klimchock had trouble gaining a foothold in the majors. He had a reputation as an indifferent fielder, and totaled only 318 games in parts of 12 major league seasons, an average of less than 27 games per year.

-From 1962 through 1966, he went from the Braves to the Senators back to the Braves to the Mets to the Indians.

-In 1969, 29-year-old Klimchock finally saw action in 90 games with Cleveland. Given 279 trips to the plate, he hit .287 (the league average was .247) with 6 homers, 13 doubles, and 26 RBI.

-August 5, 1969 saw Lou go 3-for-3 with a pair of walks, a double, and 3 RBI as the Tribe pasted the A's 10-4.

-Back in a less regular role in 1970, his average plunged to .161. The Indians released him in August, ending his career.

-Overall, Lou batted .232 in the majors with 13 home runs and 69 RBI.

-Today, he is president of the Arizona Major League Alumni, an organization that raises funds to benefit local children and ex-players in need.

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I can remember playing with baseball cards as a toddler, but I actually started collecting them when I was ten. Now I'm an adult looking for an outlet to talk about my hobby without receiving blank stares in return. You can contact me thusly.